Christmas traditions – funny things, aren’t they? What comes first in your house, presents or the Christmas dinner? Do you have stockings or sacks? And hands up if your whole family wear matching Christmas pyjamas on Christmas Day? Oh – that last one’s just us then…
Mais sérieusement, les traditions de Noël diffèrent non seulement d'un foyer à l'autre, mais aussi d'une culture à l'autre.
Below are a handful of Christmas traditions from around the world – we’re looking at adopting some of these for ourselves!
Animaux de compagnie parlants en Pologne
For the Polish, Christmas Eve is the big day! Known as ‘Wigilia’ – which means to ‘wait’ – the day is spent preparing a twelve course feast (yes, twelve courses!). At the start of supper, a thin type of wafer – called an ‘oplatek’ – is shared by the whole family, starting with the head of the household. Even the pets get a nibble, as legend has it that the wafer’s magical powers allow the animals to speak in human tongues!
Faits festifs : La fête de Wigilia ne peut commencer que lorsque la première étoile apparaît dans le ciel nocturne !
Livraisons de friandises en Inde
Instead of giving presents on the big day, Indians hand-deliver sweet treats! Traditionally called ‘kuswar’, these tasty culinary creations include fruitcakes, cookies and sweet dumplings that are given to friends, family and neighbours on Christmas Day, along with some Christmas cheer. Think Deliveroo – but with delicious Indian Christmas nourriture!
Faits festifs : La neige est un peu difficile à trouver en Inde. Les enfants utilisent donc de la laine de coton pour créer l'illusion de l'hiver !
Remplissez vos bottes en Roumanie
Christmas comes early to little ones in Romania, where they celebrate St Nicholas (‘Sfantul Nicolae’) on the 6th December. The night before, Romanian kids clean their boots, place them at the door or window and wait for St Nicholas to fill them up – which of course, depends on whether you’ve been naughty or nice!
Faits festifs : Les chants de Noël roumains sont plus qu'un simple air de fête, c'est une véritable représentation théâtrale, avec des tenues de fête spéciales !
Passez un Noël frit Kentucky au Japon
As IF we needed any more convincing to visit Japan… A relatively new tradition – where Christmas isn’t that widely celebrated – Christmas Day involves gathering around the table with your nearest and dearest and diving into a share-sized bucket of deep-fried chicken.
Faits festifs : KFC Japan even produce their very own festive menu especially for the Christmas period – yum!
Coup de balai en Norvège
Norwegian Harry Potter fans hoping for a game of Quidditch at Christmas will be rather disappointed – as the whole nation hides their brooms! It’s a centuries-old tradition that dates back to when people believed that evil spirits came out on Christmas Eve and would steal people’s brooms to ride on.
Faits festifs : Chaque année, la Norvège offre un immense sapin de Noël aux Britanniques. Vous pouvez le voir chaque année à Trafalgar Square, à Londres !
Noël est une période propice aux retrouvailles avec les amis et la famille, proches ou lointains. C'est pourquoi les elfes de Lebara ont travaillé sur un cadeau spécial pour tous les clients : des appels gratuits le jour de Noël ! Pour en savoir plus, cliquez ici : https://mobile.lebara.com/gb/en/christmas